Advent, Week 1, Faith

Welcome to the season of Advent! Where I sit, it is a balmy 70 degrees. It looks like anything but Christmas. The large department stores are displaying holiday decorations and playing “Jingle Bells”, but from street to street, there is not a hint of the Yuletide. Still, I know it is coming! Experience has bolstered my faith. More than faith in the mere fact that a date on the calendar is coming (and with it all the holiday decorations and traditions) I have faith that I will experience Christmas in my heart. How about you?

In the first chapter of Ruth, we find a foundation of faith. An Israelite man named Elimelech moves with his wife, Naomi, and two sons to Moab. They are driven by hunger, for Israel is experiencing a famine. In Moab, Elimelech dies. Both his sons marry Moabite women; one is named Orpah, the other, Ruth. When both men die, Naomi, Orpah and Ruth are left to fend for themselves. They are hungry again. But this time, their hunger is not the only thing driving them on...Naomi has heard that in Israel, ”the Lord had visited His people in giving them food” (Ruth 1:6). Faith, though perhaps small, rises in her heart and she decides to return to Israel. Orpah and Ruth love Naomi, and both set out with her. She discourages them, giving them no promise of a better life or future husbands. Reluctantly, Orpah eventually bids a tearful good-bye and returns to Moab. Ruth, however, clings to Naomi. Faith has somehow become her own. With no promise from outside of her own heart, she presses on with her mother-in-law. Faith strengthens and motivates Ruth to leave her culture, her language and her people.

Faith is the vessel of courage. Just read the great “Faith Hall of Fame”in Hebrews 11: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Rahab, Gideon, David, Samuel and more…”who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength after being weak, become mighty in battle, and put armiesto flight” (Hebrews 11:33, 34). Faith, it seems, is powerful stuff.

During this initial week of preparing our hearts to receive Christ-mas anew, this first chapter of Ruth brings us to some important questions to consider:
1. What am I hungry—really hungry-- for?
2. What situations are driving my thinking, my attitudes, my decisionsright now?
3. Where is God at work? Am I moving toward that place?
4. Have I made faith my own, independent of the faith of others around me, or my heritage, or my culture?
5. How does “faith” respond to the difficulties I am currently facing? Am I willing to do whatever it takes, leave whatever should be left, let go of the past (good or bad), and go forward, perhaps to an uncertain outcome?

May the Holy Spirit grant us faith to let Him examine our lives, and may faith give rise to courage to surrender everything to Him!

Grace and peace!

Advent and the Book of Ruth: An Introduction

On our recent trip to the US, one of the first things that grabbed my attention was the rapid speed of daily life. Most of the time I found it tiring, at times annoying. On one occasion, Jillian and I found it humourous.We had only been in the States for a couple of days and we were driving with the twins early in the morning. We decided to renew our acquaintance with an important reality of American culture: the McDonald’s drive-through. I pulled up to the miked ordering screen where a voice greeted me withwords that flew out like fire from an automatic weapon:
“WelcometoMcDonaldscanItakeyourorderplease?”
“Yes. I would like 3 small orange ju…”
“OK” The answer interrupted me before I could get out the whole word. Hmmm…
“A small cof…”
“Cream and sugar? Do you want to put it in yourself, or do you want us todo it?" The voice sounded almost annoyed, like an adult who is hurried and doesn’twant to take time to listen to the elongated story of a toddler.

I finally got the order out. When I pulled around the corner of thebuilding, I could see the two windows, the first to pay, the second to receive the food. As I approached the first window, the view ahead made me want to by-pass payment and step on the gas. There, from the first window, emerged a bodiless hand, precariously clutching between two fingers and a thumb, the neatly folded golden-arched, white paper bag that held our food! It hung in the breeze with a taunting little swing. Only partly in jest, it threatened, “Hurry up or your breakfast is road slop!”

Alas, one person’s efficiency is another person’s high-pressured breakfastexperience.

It is easy for us to live at an ever-increasing pace. Perhaps that’s one reason I love the “seasons” so much. Not only the seasons of wind and weather, but the seasons of our Christian calendar. In a world where text messaging reduces the spelling of words to single letters, and where new technologies give us our food, news, and email at the touch of a button, God’s priorities and methods seem at odds. Here is One who is never in a hurry—who created the earth and everything in it in a step bystep orderly fashion; who set history in motion with generations of babies, youngsters, adults and the aged; whose years pass with the regularity of seasons.

We all know the Scriptural truth: “Man’s ways are not God’s ways…” Nowhere is that more evident than with the events of Christmas. I have a feeling that if it were up to me and you, the events at Bethlehem would have been recorded in Genesis 4, and Genesis 5 would be renamed“Revelation.” But the will, the ways and the works of God cannot be rushed. His plan will unfold as He ordains, no matter how we desire to rush it on more quickly. Sunday, November 29, is the beginning of the Advent Season. The word“advent” means “coming” and these four weeks of Christmas are an annual opportunity to focus upon the coming of the Son of God to our world. If we will let Him, the Holy Spirit will take us all on a journey toBethlehem to wonder and celebrate in a new way the glorious gift of Jesus, the Savior, Messiah, Redeemer. Just think of the years of longing, looking, hoping, seeking…that were fulfilled in that Holy Night. Many tried to “hurry” that up, too. Israel was always looking for a leader, or a prophet, or a king, or a judge that would be THE Son of David. No matter how much they hoped, or how good a king might be, the peoplewere disappointed again and again. It seemed as if the true Son of David would never come.

And then, He did. Sixteen times throughout the Gospels, Jesus is recognized, hailed, and implored as “The Son of David.” Apparently,the people who reached out in faith to Jesus for every kind of need had no trouble surmising that He was indeed, the long-awaited Son of David. Matthew’s Gospel begins with these words…”The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). Some may think that Matthew’s record of the ancestry of Jesus is chauvinistic—tracing the Savior’s line through Joseph. Luke’s record traces the genealogy of Jesus through the line of Mary. Remarkably,though, Matthew’s account mentions five women in the ancestral line of Jesus (Tamar, Rahab, Bathsheba, Ruth and Mary), while Luke’s mentions none, not even Mary herself. The story of one of the women named by Matthew is found in the Old Testament Book that bears her name, the Bookof Ruth.

In Ruth we read a beautiful story of growing faith, of hope dashed and rekindled, of love lost and found, of joy thought out of reach, then fulfilled beyond measure. It is a rich, challenging story of spiritual truth. Ruth paints a picture of Jesus, our Kinsman Redeemer. It is a perfect story for the season of Advent. Ruth’s four chapters fit neatly into the four weeks of Advent. But more than the number, the book can be anchored in four themes that can strengthen our relationship with the Savior: faith, hope, love and joy.

Welcome to this Advent journey in the Book of Ruth.

Grace and peace!

We're Baaaaack!

Elizabeth enjoys reading to a dog at the library's "Paws to Read" event.
Jillian sports a "mohawk hat" in Massachusetts!

The girls loved ice skating with Aurora!

Tony's first speaking invitation was at the church where he received Christ.

Our girls in traditional Vietnamese dress for church.

Faith and Joy in the pumpkin patch!

Getting autographs backstage with "Go Fish."

Anna Mei pitches a rubber chicken at a "Chicken Chuckin'" booth at a fall festival.

The fam with our friend, Mickey.

After about 8 weeks in the United States, we have returned home to Vietnam. It is a quite Tuesday night in Danang...at least at our house. We arrived home on Sunday night at about 10:30 pm local time. This is the first time I have felt like I could sit at the computer without falling asleep, so I thought I should take advantage and give a brief update about our trip to the US.

First of all, it was a wonderful, blessed trip. We had a great time. It was incredibly busy, but we came home with some lifelong memories.

So, how did we spend our 8 weeks?

...traveling to 12 states

...sharing our work with at least 19 different churches and groups

...keeping 30 medical, dental, and eye exam appointments

...visiting with so many people we love

...obtaining items to bring back to make our house a little more like home

...a week of family vacation and a 2-day session with our board

Predominant emotion now that we are back...Gratitude

It took a small army of people to give us such a wonderful trip! Everywhere we turned we received blessing. Amazing acts of kindness, thoughtfulness, and sacrifice...like

...all those who provided housing for one or seven of us. You made us feel at home.

...rides to and from the airport (we arrived at 10 pm and departed for the airport at 4:30 am, so transporting us definitely meant a labor of love and a loss of sleep!)

...food: hmmm...8 weeks at 3 meals a day for 7 people--that's 168 meals, many of them provided by dear friends. In Kentucky tradition, I must say, "We ate good."

...a van provided to us for the duration of our stay! And it had a working DVD player (happy dance)

...a week at a Florida resort so we could have some family time at the start of the trip

...tickets and invitations to so many wonderful experiences--a "Go Fish" concert, a hayride and huge corn maze, a natural history museum, and a couple of festivals and farms....

gift cards and shopping trips for the girls and me (and my first "mani-pedi").

First time I heard "When will we get there?" Before we ever left the Danang airport, from Elizabeth.

Funniest statement: Also from Elizabeth. I overheard her talking to Anna Mei in the ladies room at the beautiful Hong Kong airport: "I PROMISE. I did NOT touch one thing, and it flushed!"

And, lastly, a story from our return trip under the category of "And not a jury in the world would convict me...."
Many of you know that our family traveled in two groups for some of the flights to and from the US. Here is the background: Coming back, Tony, Anna Mei and Elizabeth had a day of flying from Lexington to San Fransisco, then on to Hong Kong and Saigon the next day. Jillian, Faith, Joy and I left Lexington at 6 am to Chicago, then after a 6-hour layover, on to Hong Kong (where we joined the rest of the family for flights to Saigon and Danang). We were, as my mother would say, "loaded for bear." We took advantage of the 2 suitcase/2 carry-on rules, so we had a total of 28 bags between us. With my 8 large bags checked, we still had 8 carry-ons of various weights. So I was glad that we got a luggage cart when we arrived in Chicago. After breakfast, we discovered that one of the twins had left a small purse on the plane. Not a big loss...nothing in it of value. But, we had about five more hours to fill, so I asked an airline employee if there was a place we might check about it.

She directed us to "Lost and Found." It was about a 20-minute walk she said, but you have the cart and the girls will enjoy seeing the airport, she assured me with a smile. So off we went. At "Lost and Found", I was told that items didn't arrive there for 2-3 days, but I could check back at the gate where we landed. By the time we headed in that direction, I had a stunning, heart-sinking realization..at some point we had left the secured section of the airport and we would now have to go through the security check all over again. So, off with the jackets, shoes and jewelry, out with the cell phones and computer, run all the bags through the x-ray machinery...you get the picture. My "never-make-a scene" 10-year-old queried, "If you see that lady again, you're not going to say anything are you?" I decided to have a little fun..."You'll know when I see her, Jillian. My top lip will curl at one side. My tired, red eyes will widen as my eyebrows raise in recognition. My knuckles will turn white as I grip the handle of the luggage cart to keep them off of her neck, and a gutteral, emotion-charged greeting will emit from my lips, 'Yooouuuu!'"

Actually, it wasn't so bad. We did enjoy the airport. And they let us keep the cart at security, walking it through separately after unloading. We arrived back at our departure gate without the purse, but no worse for wear. And I have a story that makes me smile...

The Lord has blessed us immeasureably. My heart is peaceful tonight overall, a little sad to say good-bye, but content with fond memories of so many expressions of love.
I wish you the same. Grace and peace!

Signs

As our trip to the US draws very near, I wanted to tell you a few observations I have made about life here in Vietnam and what applications I am making to my own life...

First, it's often the little things that trip us up. If I say "bugs", you may think "big." And, we do have them, big roaches, big spiders, etc. But to me, the most pesky, frustrating and difficult to deal with of all of them is...the teeny-tiniest of ants. They are everywhere, numbering in the tens of billions (I am sure). They are difficult to see because the travel in cracks and crevices: where the door frame connects to the wall; in the lines where floor tiles meet; at the bottom of baseboards. By the time they are seen, they are covering a cup, a plate, a table. Moving the cup means that they run to your hand. It is an odd sensation; it feels like a thin, moving glove. In my life, I sometimes miss the little things that are, well, amiss. Little frustrations allowed to grow; slight discontent coddled; "insignificant", private criticisms enjoyed as personal entertainment... things small, unseen to most people, pests that run rampant and become visible when left alone. I'm asking the Lord to shine His light and reveal these pests wherever they lurk. Every thought captive. Every motive pure. Every high and lofty thing that would exalt itself against my Lord vanquished and subjugated.

Second, I've been thinking about heaven. With our trip to the US just days away, I've been looking to what lies ahead. I imagine the sights and, perhaps more, the smells. I want to stand in a beauty salon, close my eyes and breathe deep...and the Yankee candle store...and the cosmetic counters at Dillards or Lazarus. There are many spectacular sights in Vietnam...the ocean view, mountains that look as if clouds are resting on their peaks, night-time river views with lights reflecting across the water. So what makes the images of my mind so wondrously beautiful? They are home. Is that how I will feel about heaven: will it be like stepping into vivid technicolor? Will every smell, sound and sight feel like home? I think so. And thinking about it has helped me catch hold a little more of Paul's words about heaven being far more desireable.

Third, the signs. In the US, when special days are coming, the stores signal, announce and trumpet it with decorations, cards, and seasonal home decor. My first clue to the arrival of some of the holidays here is the smell of incense. To honor, remember, include the ancestors, incense is burned on little home altars, and offerings of fruit or other favorite food is placed there (one had a small bag of Skittles candy on it!). No matter how big or small the holiday, incense is always one of my clues to its arrival.

And, lastly, I have been pondering the "God-shaped hole" in every heart that makes us long for eternity. Recently I learned that when someone becomes elderly here, they become known as "the mother of John" or "the father of Jane"...the name used is that of the oldest child. So, for example, years from now, I will be known as "Me Jillian" (pronounced "may Jillian) for "mother of Jilllian. I think it is a cultural way of wanting to express that "life goes on" and the parent will live through succeeding generations. Linh told me that she did not know her grandfather's given name until he died when she was 14 years old, because the only name she had ever heard him called was "father of Quyen" (her father's name). Eternity beats within the heart of every person. We long for it. This life is short, at best. We may know the elation of many joys and privileges, but we may experience gut-wrenching heartache, excruciating pain, fear, sorrow and despair. There is more! Somewhere deep within, we know it. We hope for it.

So, these random thoughts have been occupying the space between my ears and churning in my heart. I know this message is a bit long, but I wanted to share with you while it is fresh on my mind. I don't know if I will have the opportunity to post many messages before we leave for the US.

This week, I hope you, too, will have some time to ponder the things around you. God is speaking! He reveals Himself daily and brings His Word to greater understanding as we let Him apply it to our daily lives.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance!

The Week In Pictures

Saturday: Joy lost a front tooth. "Look, Mom! Now I can eat pasghetti!"

Sunday: We returned from church to find this lizard waiting patiently for a ride in a bicycle basket with Apple the Bear. He really surprised us!

Monday: Dat and Ut returned home, after visiting for a few days while Ut had follow-up medical visits. Dat's haircut was our last preparation for him to begin the school year!

Tuesday: A couple of homeschool stories. Jillian (above) celebrates a perfect score on her history test! Earlier that morning, the girls were talking about putting on a "Plymouth Play." Jillian had assigned parts for Samoset, Squanto and Massasoit. Playfully, Dad said, "I'll be John Smith." Jillian rolled her eyes, "You can't, Dad. John Smith was at Jamestown, not at Plymouth. You'll have to be Miles Standish." (Mom's "teacher heart" was dancing!)

In another history lesson, Anna Mei was taking notes about Plymouth. The text said, "In selecting Plymouth as the site for their settlement, the Pilgrims looked for a place with fresh drinking water, a good harbor, and the freedom from unfriendly Indians." Anna Mei's notes said: "Good water, good harbor, good Indians."

During a fast-paced game of "Name That World Landmark", I showed the girls a picture of the Suez Canal. "It's a canal!" cried Jillian. Wanting to be the first to name the site, Anna Mei (below) blurted, "I know! I know! Root Canal!"

Wednesday: Faith shows Joy that she too, has now lost her right front tooth. We can't tell who is more excited! Twins in everything!

I can't leave Elizabeth out! She has finished two reading books this year. Keeping her busy is a challenge...she almost always finishes every subject by 11:00 am!

Dreams

At different times in my life, I've dreamed of what might come to pass in the future. Who I might marry (that one came true), what vocation I would follow, how many children, where we would live, etc., etc., etc.

Some were fanciful, some were funny, some foolish. Recently twoexperiences made me consider the "dreams" of my life with a newappreciation for so many blessings.

"When I see you with your daughters, I dream." That's what a 20-year-old said as I waved the good-bye to the twins on a swim outing with their Dad. She lives at home with 3 siblings, grandparents and parents. She works, bringing the money home to the household. "My mother doesn't love me like that," she said quietly. I tried to reassure her. Cultures are very different. Someday, she can be the kind of mother she herself has longed for.

Another woman, seriously ill, dreams of seeing her child reach adulthood. It appears unlikely, from a human standpoint. Still, she dreams of what he will become. The education he will attain. The job he will hold. The family he will raise. Her eyes study his frame while he plays. Possibilities dance in her stedfast gaze, drawing up tears of longing.

Dreams are powerful. It is a wonderful gift that God grants us to reach out and up for something bigger than ourselves...something greater, something gallant, beautiful, life-giving, noble.

May my dreaming be worthy of the One who has dreamed up a future and hope for me. Father, keep me from consuming Your goodness only on myself. Open the portals of my heart wide and deep to the world around me. And let me dream...

Grace and peace!

Bittersweet

Dat and his new bike!

Dat receives a back pack from Enoch and Marissa. Ut is on the left.

Dat gets his first piece of birthday cake ever!

Birthday boy in with decorations. Joy colored the cake picture above the balloons.

Life in Vietnam seems to move at an ever increasing pace. Here are some hightlights from the past week or so...

...we celebrated Dat's birth and life last Friday night. He had never had a party before, so he was very happy with the balloons, flag banners, cake, ice cream, special meal and presents. Duc and Linh, Enoch and Marissa, and Bee celebrated with us. Dat received some more school supplies from Duc and Linh, a back pack from Enoch and Marissa (filled with art supplies), and a bike from the Brewer clan. We had a chance to share with Dat that his life is no accident. He has a great purpose designed from His Heavenly Father. We celebrated not only the past event of his birth, but the anticipation of a bright future. Ut and Dat both expressed heartfelt gratitude. Hard to believe that four months ago, Ut was not expected to survive through September.

...on Saturday, Ut and Dat returned home to Hiep Duc. If there has been a time in Vietnam when we smiled through tears, this was it. Tony, all the girls, Duc, Linh and Sally, and Enoch and Marissa accompanied them. (I stayed at the house to work on lesson plans for the week.) Before he left, Dat followed me to the kitchen. He caught my hand and said simply, "Mommy, you will not forget me?" I assured him that would be impossible. Tony and the group got them to their home, and stocked with food. We will see them again in a couple of weeks.

...Anna Mei had a mishap at an indoor playground and chipped a front tooth. Thankfully, the gum does not appear damaged and it is not causing her pain. Also, we are glad to have an upcoming opportunity to visit our dentist in the US!

...We made a working compass in science class using a sewing needle and a bar magnet. It reminded me of the internal compass God provides that points us to Him--the Holy Spirit. Like the needle, we don't have to strive or work to be pointed in the right direction--we simply need to surrender and follow where He points us.

...We celebrated Marissa's birthday yesterday. How wonderful to share life in Vietnam with great friends! Marissa and Enoch are making a difference in the lives of children and poor families. They are a blessing to our family also.

...because of the time to order and have materials delivered, we have just scored achievement tests from last year. We praise God for good results!

All in all, it's been a great week. God is good. His mercy endures forever! Grace and peace!